The Long Decline of Drug Sales Reps

The number of sales reps working for U.S. drug makers has fallen from 102,000 in 2007 to 92,000 today — and is projected to fall to 75,000 in the next few years.

Those figures, from the consulting firm ZS Associates, are part of a broader shift: A drug industry looking to cut costs as doctors look to cut back on the time they spend talking to the drug reps who have long filled …